How to guard against proximity bias in a hybrid workplace

In the age of hybrid work, there are many elements to contend with. From productivity to budgeting to your collaboration tech stack, planning a workday just isn’t what it was in the pre-pandemic era. A growing concern among employees is whether their managers will — subconsciously or unconsciously — favor people who work in a physical office over those who work remotely. While proximity bias is a legitimate concern, the solution isn’t to create less productive meetings to create “face time” and bring two groups from different locations together.

Instead, it ensures that meetings of managers and direct reports are intentional. While building a relationship around the water dispenser is not an option, it is the manager’s responsibility to ensure they have a deep understanding of their direct report’s work, goals and motivations. This Five actionable tips can help managers eliminate prejudice based on proximity, improve face-to-face communication, and deepen their connection with direct reports so they feel more fulfilled, motivated, and empowered.

Create a partnership agreement

The first and arguably most important step in improving the one-on-one interview is to work out a partnership agreement. The goal of this step is to find out what each of you wants to get out of your one-to-one sessions and create a personalized agreement. Additionally, it is a chance for the manager to build trust and demonstrate an interest in the direct report’s unique work style so that they can do their best work. Corresponding McKinsey, a positive team climate is the single most important contributor to psychological safety and is most likely to occur when leaders demonstrate supportive, consultative behaviors and then challenge their teams. This agreement should cover the basics of the meeting to meet expectations such as: B. the frequency and duration of the meetings, the topics to be covered and who is responsible for the rescheduling. It should also include the preferences for giving and receiving feedback and even insights into the collaboration preferences of the direct reports or the time of day when they get their best thoughts done.

Take good notes

One-on-one meetings can be less formal than other meetings with many participants or a single goal, but that doesn’t mean notes are any less important. Without notes and action items, it’s harder to track progress and hold each person accountable. Before managers meet with a direct report, establish a structure to capture agenda items, notes, and next steps with a unique owner. You can rearrange the format as needed, keep the agenda week-to-week, or work quarterly or monthly depending on your project cycles. Remember that while notes are important, it is more important for the direct report to feel heard and to know that the manager is not being distracted. If a manager is struggling to stay present with notes, try taking critical notes after the meeting is over.

Review goals early and often

Corresponding gardenerWhen employee goals align with both organizational and employee needs, employee performance increases by up to 22%. To do this, it is important to create goals with employees at an early stage that are aimed at their long-term development, as well as critical work that has a direct impact on the organization. Clearly set goals make it easier for an employee to communicate with their manager about their needs, understand what is expected of them and identify opportunities to advance their role. When goals are paramount, a manager can help identify new opportunities for the employee that may arise even when not in person. This also shows that the manager cares about the whole person – not just the work they are doing now, but how they can grow and thrive beyond their role or even their team.

track development

With goals set, it’s easier to track progress – especially when the role is subject to change. gardener found that less than half of employees say they update their goals after significant changes in role expectations, indicating the need for closer monitoring. Being clear about the desired role trajectory can also help with closeness tendencies outside of one-on-one relationships. Whether you’re in the office or not, once you’ve kept abreast of your team members’ career goals and needs, it is easier for a manager to achieve those goals when there is a documented history of followed-up conversations about the Career development and regular feedback there.

Share kudos freely

All too often, when someone thinks of “feedback” in the workplace, it’s assumed to be negative, but free feedback is just as important for employee development—perhaps even more so for high achievers. Share positive feedback as timely as possible with specific information about what they did well. “Nice job in this meeting” isn’t nearly as helpful as “You did a great job in this meeting because your report was easy to understand and included helpful quotes.” Repeating these kudos verbally later in your one-on-one interview helps and does in a designated “kudos” section of your one-on-one interview document. Suggest that your line manager also keeps track of the proud moments and any praise he receives from other colleagues. This also serves as a helpful repository when it comes time to do a formal review – the awards are already written down.

One-on-one meetings can easily become an unfortunate duty if not properly structured. As we continue to navigate the world of hybrid work, implementing a framework to improve one-on-one conversations can minimize proximity bias and maximize employee satisfaction—remote or not.

Rachel Timme is Head of Human Resources and Culture at codaa cloud-based multi-user document editor.